New Kidd On The Block
by Richard B. Sampson Jr
Summary: A new figure joins Limbo Galaxy, but some confusion change the fates ot all in Limbo.


New Kidd on the Block  
(Silverhawks is property of Lorimar telepictures. No money was made off this story.)  
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Commander Stargazer looked at the communiqué he got from Earth. It was marked top secret and high priority. That was rarely a good combination. The contents worried him, especially with the orders that all the Silverhawks, but one, know about this. He waited until the one had left for patrol. It was then he pushed the comm button and said, "Silverhawks, in my office, on the double."  
He knew he didn't have to wait long. Most of the Silverhawks ran in the door, while Condor just strolled in. Finally, Flashback just appeared in the room and asked the important question. "What's up, Commander?"  
Stargazer just remained calm and said, "I just received a top secret message from Earth, and you all need to know about it."  
He knew Quicksilver would be the one to point out the important fact, especially when he said, "Commander, shouldn't we wait until Copperkidd is here?"  
Stargazer shook his head and said, "Sorry, but the message from Earth left strict instructions that the Kidd should not know." He saw the shocked look cross everyone's face, but he continued. "Apparently, Limbo is getting a new resident, from Earth. Take a look at this file." He pushed another button on his desk, and his bookshelf slid open. Soon, the file that was with the memo appeared on the screen.  
As the file played out, he heard Moonstryker say, "Are we getting a new member to the team? If so, why doesn't he have the new propolsion unit?" Stargazer knew what Moonstryker was getting at. While the figure looked like a Silverhawk, he was anything but a Silverhawk.  
He then heard Bluegrass point out the important fact. "Commander, is this a joke. That document has a calender from 1990 in the background."  
That was the important fact. Stargazer just looked at them and said, "That is no joke, Colonel. That file is genuine. It is from the first 'Silverhawk.' It was an experimental procedure at the time, used to save someone's life. He joined with one of the Silverhawks founding groups, and eventually the technology came with that. After him, very few were created, but none could match what this one had."  
He watched as Condor said, "What are you saying, Gaze?"  
Stargazer just said, "Apparently, this 'Silverhawk', could be a few of us combined, plus one added trick. The whole armor was removiable and self repairing. It also healed his body, giving him a sort of immortality."  
He then heard Steelheart say, "How does this affect us?"  
And on cue, Steelwill said, "And why not clue in the Copperkidd?"  
Stargazer just said gruffly, "It affects us since he is coming to Limbo, apparently to retire, but command doesn't want the Copperkidd to know about him." He knew the last part might floor everyone, but he knew he would have to say it. "The reason Earth doesn't want Copperkidd to know is that this was his mentor."  
He saw a very shocked look on everyone's faces. The silence wasn't broken until Hotwing said, "Are you saying that Copperkidd was taught by this hawk?"  
"Exactly. Copperkidd, before he was shipped up with all of you, was taught by this hawk. Sort of how they came up with his code name. His mentor was called Silverkidd." He then saw a look cross Condor's face.  
He watched as Condor smiled and said, "Well, Gaze, we have a vet up here. I read up on the past detectives from Earth, and the Silverkidd was tops in putting one of the old master criminals away."  
Stargazer then said, "Figured that name would be familiar. Just remember, the Copperkidd shouldn't know about this, and we have to make sure no one else knows about this either. Command doesn't know how he'll arrive in Limbo, nor how he'll get to Bedlama, but he just wants to retire, and after a couple of centuries of doing this, I can't blame him." He turned off the file and led everyone out of the room. "Besides, right now, we need to keep this secret amongst ourselves. If Mon*Star thought we were getting a new Silverhawk, he'd be after the transport faster than you can put your masks on." Deep down, he hoped Mon*Star wouldn't find out, but in Limbo Galaxy, one never knew.  
  
He waited until everyone had left Stargazer's office before he changed forms. For a while, he had deguised himself as Stargazer's pencil. When he returned to his humanoid form, Mo-Lec-U-Lar looked at the memo and said, "This is something Mon*Star will want to know about. Now all I need to do is get out of here before Stargazer returns." This was always the second hardest part of his job in the mob. How would he get out undetected? Normally, he'd transform into a bug, and fly out of Hawkhaven, but this time, all the Silverhawks were outside the door. He then saw the way out. He pushed a button that opened the door that let any of the birds fly into Commander Stargazer's office, and transformed into a hawk. As he flew out, he heard the door close. As he flapped outside of Hawkhaven, he said, "Good. Now no one will know I was there. Now to tell Mon*Star the news." He transformed yet again, but this time into a rocket and flew off to Brim-Star.  
  
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Mon*Star walked into the main chamber of his fortress. Already in the room was some of his mob. This included Melodia, the only woman in his mob. That was not something he worried about. Next to her was Buzz-Saw, his robotic assassain. Although he had no need to kill anyone, except for the Silverhawks, Buzz-Saw did a good job on heists. Standing on the other side of the room was Hardware, the troll who was his weapons expert. Next in the line up was Timestopper, his youngest mob member, able to stop time in an instant. Finally, was the ever present Yes-Man. Yes-Man was his toady, ever loyal to him. There had been the times Yes-Man was defiant, but over all, he stayed loyal. He walked up to his throne and said, "I guess you all know why I called you here." Before anyone could answer, he just said, "We have a problem here in Limbo. Those blasted Silverhawks are constantly stopping us. We need to do something to change that."  
He heard most of the Mob agree, but Hardware said, "Why don't we try to control them. I can rebuild my Fantascreen, but make it better, boss."  
Mon*Star looked over at Hardware and said, "That didn't work the first time you tried it. Steelwill somehow broke free. What we need is a better angle, something that we can control."  
He was almost startled when he heard Mo-Lec-U-Lar say, "Then have I got news for you, Planet Master." He looked over as Mo-Lec-U-Lar came walking in with a file in his hands.  
Mon*Star felt pleased by this. "Mo-Lec-U-Lar, what news have you found out from Hawkhaven?" He sometimes sent Mo-Lec-U-Lar there to find out info on the Silverhawks.  
He watched as Mo-Lec-U-Lar laughed and said, "Apparently the Silverhawks are expecting a new member, a possible replacement for the Copperkidd. Stargazer didn't want the Copperkidd to know about this guy."  
Mon*Star took the file out of Mo-Lec-U-Lar's hands and looked at it. This was important. Plus, the report with it might give them some leeway in finding this new Silverhawk. He looked over the memo and saw two names in it. He just said, "What did the Silverhawks call this guy?"  
Mo-Lec-U-Lar just thought about it. Apparently when he heard this info, he might not have had ears to hear with. Soon, his master of disguise said, "I think they called him Silverkidd."  
Mon*Star just said, "Call the whole mob together, Yes-Man. We have to find this Silverhawk, and if he goes by an alias, he might choose this one name here, Richard Silver." He started to laugh, as did the rest of the mob. Soon, they might have control over some of the Silverhawks.  
  
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He landed on his feet as he came through the blue portal. Richard Silver never really liked that mode of travel, since it had a few bad things. One was that you never knew where you were going to land. When he looked off to his side, he realized how bad the system was. To his right was a very long drop, but to his left was a place to get a taxi. He looked around and saw a man waiting, and also that the stop was out in space. Nothing new to him. He knew he was heading someplace other than Earth, and insisted on this mode of travel. Well, now he could head for Bedlama, as it was called, and retire in peace. He walked over to the other man and said, "Waiting for the cab?"  
The other man, as he could tell, was a robot, wearing shades. The man just looked at him and said in a dapper voice. "Yes. I have a meeting to go to, and must get there soon."  
Richard just said, "Bummer." He looked out to see a cab flying towards them. He then said, "Well, maybe I can help you out. I'm heading to Bedlama, but I'll pay for your trip."  
The robot just looked him and said, "I'd be grateful for that. I wouldn't want to stick my employer for the bill. My name is Poker-face. I work at the Starship Casino."  
Rich was almost startled by that. He didn't know there was a Casino in this area. He would occasionally dabble in games of chance. He looked at Poker-Face and said, "Hello Poker-face, my name is Richard Silver and retirement is my game. I do love the occasional game of cards. Do you have poker at that casino?"  
As the cab pulled up, Poker-Face just said, "Yes, as well as Blackjack and Baccarat. Stop by one time."  
Rich followed Poker-Face into the cab and said, "I will sometime." He turned to the cabbie and said, "Cabbie, take me to Bedlama, but first, take this Mr. Poker-Face to where ever he's headed."  
He watched as Poker-Face said, "Brim-Star, Seymour, and step on it." Apparently, Poker-Face's employer worked on Brim-Star.  
Richard watched as Seymour said, "Whoa, hey buddy, do you really want to head to Brim-Star first. It might be better if I took you to Bedlama first, ya know what I mean?"  
Richard looked at Seymour and said, "No. And I think it would be better if you took him to Brim-Star first, cause if you do, I'll double the pay."  
For the first time, he realized Seymour wasn't alone. He noticed the beaked creature when it said, "Zeeeeek. Seymour, are you crazy? Do as the man says." He was almost startled when the creature turned and said, "By the way, do you want to buy a fish?" Richard could not believe that this creature had a dead fish in the cab.  
He was thankful when Seymour said, "Will you be quiet, Zeek. We'll get Poker-Face where he is going right away." He felt the cab accelerate and wondered if this was going to be typical of retirement in Limbo Galaxy. He then glanced out the window, and saw the bird. It was like a cyborg, but it wasn't. It was more a cy-bird.  
Richard looked at Seymour yet again and said, "Seymour, don't wake me up until we get to Bedlama. I need to rest my eyes." Before Seymour could confirm his request, Richard closed his eyes for a cat-nap.  
  
As he flew by the cab pick-up point, Tally-Hawk witnessed the entire scene. He wasn't sure if everyone down there knew what this could mean, but there was a threat of trouble. He followed the cab, and it looked that no one knew what would happen. Regardless, Tally-Hawk flew a ways away from the cab and looked off in the direction of Hawkhaven. Soon, the signal shot from his eyes, and the Silverhawks would know what he saw.  
  
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Quicksilver was the first to see the image the second it came in. He was almost stunned at what he was seeing. What Tally-Hawk was reporting was almost unbelievable. He quickly turned and shouted, "Commander Stargazer. Tally-Hawk found Silverkidd, and it doesn't look good."  
Soon, all of the Silverhawks were there, and Stargazer said, "Great Ceasar's Ghost. Is he getting into Seymour's cab with Poker-Face?"  
Quicksilver said, "That's what it looks like, but I don't know if he was forced?"  
He then heard Steelheart say, "I don't think he was. The two were talking, and I think they don't know who each other is. I'm betting the Mon*Star doesn't know about him yet."  
Quicksilver then remembered that part of the report. "She's right, Commander, but I don't think it would be safe for us not to react and head out towards Brim-Star. If Mon*Star does find out, he'll be after the cab in an instant."  
He watched as the commander thought about it and said, "Alright, Bluegrass, you, and Quicksilver head out to intercept, take Hotwing and Flashback with you."  
He heard his fellow hawks say "Aye Aye," when he said it, and they ran for the elevator. When they headed down to the hanger, Quicksilver said, "Remember, we can't alert Copperkidd to this. We are going to have to handle this ourselves."  
When the door openned, he watched as Bluegrass ran over to the Maraj and said, "I still don't think it's right not to tell the Kidd. This is his mentor."  
He then heard Hotwing say, "True, but if the man wants to retire, he might not want to be bothered. If I knew one of my mentors was in Limbo, I would be tempted to stop by and visit him."  
Quicksilver nodded as he jumped in his bay on the Maraj and said, "Hotwing's right. Silverkidd just came here to retire. Last thing he wants is to be bothered. I just hope the Mob hasn't found out about him."  
As the canopy came down, he heard Flashback say, "Well, Quicksilver, if we are too late, I can go back and save him before Poker-Face enters the cab." It was true that he could do that, but Quicksilver didn't like that idea.  
He said, as the Maraj started to pull out, "Better not, that might tip off the Mob. If anything, we use that as a last resort." He then said, "Get us to Brim-Star, quick, cowboy." With that, they were out of Hawkhaven, en route to Brim-Star.  
  
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Poker-Face watched as Mon*Star's fortress loomed in the window. He was thankful that he wouldn't have to pay for the cab fare, but something bothered him. Something he couldn't place his finger on. He looked over at the person who shared the cab with him and started to wonder. How did this Richard Silver have the funds to pay for this ride. He was apparently new to Limbo, so new that he didn't even know about the Mob. Poker-Face just said, "Excuse me, Mr. Silver, but I thought that my employer could thank you for your kindness." It was a chance, but he didn't want to show he was a ganster yet.  
He listened as Richard Silver just said, "Sorry. I don't have the time. I must get to Bedlama before I lose my deposit on a nice little home there. I hope all goes well for you." He watched as the man gave Seymore the money for his ride and then said, "Seymour, I'll triple the fare if you get me to Bedlama."  
He waited as Seymour stopped to let him out of the cab, before he said, "Well, maybe you could stop by at a later time. I'm sure my boss would like to meet you." He got out and turned to see Seymour heading away. He had a feeling that Richard was trusting enough to be fooled. He then headed into the fortress.  
As he made his way through the halls, he heard a voice call his name. He turned to see Windhammer coming up to him. He heard Windhammer say, "Any clue on why Mon*Star called us all here. I was about to raid a bank shipment to Do-Lar."  
He continued heading to the main chamber of the fortress and said, "I don't know, Windhammer. All I know is that Mon*star wanted us all here. But I just had an unusual encounter coming here."  
He heard another voice vaguely say, "What was that?" He saw Mumbo-Jumbo walking behind them. He sometimes had trouble understanding Mumbo, but then, most of the mob had the same problem.  
He said as they approached the main chamber, "Apparently, there is a new guy in Limbo, one with lots of money. He paid for my ride here, but there is something fishy about it. I think this Richard Silver might be up to something."  
Soon he heard the voice of Mon*Star say, "What did you say, Poker-Face?" He looked up and realized that he had entered the main chamber without even knowing he did so, and Mon*Star must have heard part of his discussion and picked up on something.  
He didn't know if he had said anything wrong, but he just said, "I said that the fellow that paid for my ride must be up to something."  
He was almost startled that Mon*star advanced on him and said, "You said a name, Poker-Face. Who was it that gave you a ride?"  
Poker-Face started to worry. He was borderline on Mon*Star's good side. He nervously said, "It was some fellow name Richard Silver. I don't know what he's up to, but all he's doing now is getting a house on Bedlama."  
Mon*Star just looked at him and said, "He probably told you that to throw you off the fact that he's a Silverhawk." Poker-Face felt his eyes spin around when he heard that. What ever showed up was sure to be exclaimation points. This was troubling news. A new Silverhawk in Limbo mean bad news for the mob. He then heard Mon*Star say, "Melodia, you, Timestopper and Mumbo-Jumbo, go find the Copperkidd. I want him brought to me, alive. The rest of you, stop that cab. I want this Richard Silver here." Poker-Face then followed everyone out of the room and to the Limos. If he would have known, he would have capture Mr. Silver on the spot.  
  
Seymour drove his cab through the vastness of Limbo Galaxy. As he headed for Limbo, he just said, "That was risky, having us take Poker-Face to Brim-Star. He's a member of the mob. Ya know what I mean?"  
He was surprised when the man sat up and said, "No. What mob?" Obviously, the guy didn't know about Mon-Star and his mob.  
Seymour just said, "Listen, here in Limbo, there is a mob, and it's lead by Mon*Star, and he is bad news. You better be careful, and try not to draw attention to yourself. If you make Mon*Star mad, he'll come after you."  
He watched as the man just said, "Well, if Mon*Star is mad, he'll just have to get over it. I don't know if he wants to worry about one retired person. Besides, I haven't done anything to make him mad." Almost as if to punctuate his statement, Seymour heard a loud explosion outside his cab. He noticed a shocked look cross the man's face as he said, "Ok. Either your cab backfired, or someone is ticked off at me."  
Seymour then heard Zeek the Beak say, "I think someone is mad at you, and they aren't going to calm down. Seymour, get us out of here."  
Seymour put the pedal to the metal and said, "I'm trying, but this cab is pushed to the limit." Seymour noticed a flash behind him, but ignored it. "I'm gonna call the Silverhawks. they can handle the mob better, ya know what I mean."  
Seymour then heard the man in the back say, "Well, Seymour, tell them to hurry. I'll try to scare them off." Seymour then noticed that the man in the back of his cab had changed into a Silverhawk. Now he was confused, but wasn't going to argue as the man pulled out a gun of sorts and openned the window and started shooting.  
Seymour quickly turned on the radio and said, "Seymour to the Silverhawks. I need some help out here. The mob is attacking my cab."  
Almost instantly, he head Lt. Quicksilver say, "We are on our way, Seymour. Do your best to avoid getting hit."  
Seymour felt another shot shake his cab, and said, "You better hurry Quicksilver, ya know what I mean."  
He was almost startled when the man in the back said, "And make it fast. One gun versus many is not always a win." He didn't expect the man to say anything, but he hit the nail on the head.  
Seymour was more startled when Quicksilver said, "We are on our way, sir." The radio went silent.  
Seymour was puzzled by this and said, "Were you really here to retire, or are you here to help the Silverhawks?" His question was addressed to the man now leaning out the window and shooting at the mob.  
The man quickly got back in and said, "Retire, but I guess the mob has different ideas. I wonder what got their knickers in a twist." He then noticed the man looking ahead and said, "But I think both the Silverhawks and the Mob was expecting me.  
Seymour saw what the man saw, just as Zeek said, "Look, it's the Maraj. The Silverhawks are here." Seymour felt a wave of relief pass through him, until a blast shook the cab so much that his passanger flew out the window.  
  
Bluegrass watched the scene when they were finally close enough to do something. He was shocked when he saw Silverkidd fly out of the window of Seymour's cab. He then said, "No time for small talk, Hawks, we need to Release." He pushed the button before anyone was ready. At that second, all canopies openned and all the hawks flew. When all the hawks were clear, he pulled the lever that released the Hot Seat from the Maraj.  
Once he was free, he heard Quicksilver say, "Hotwing, you try and get Silverkidd. Flashback, Bluegrass and I will detain the mob."  
He was stunned when Hotwing said, "I would do that sir, but I only see Tally-Hawk down there." Bluegrass looked down where the Silverkidd was falling, and it did look like Silverkidd had disappeared. But then he noticed something about Tally-Hawk. The bird was all metal. That couldn't have been Tally-Hawk, but what was it?  
  
Buzz-Saw watched as Poker-Face aimed his cane at the falling Silverhawk. Buzz-Saw had to run interference and stop the other Silverhawks from saving this one. He launched his two blades and said, "You'd better hurry up, Poker-Face. The Silverhawks are here, and we may have to pull back."  
He was stunned when Poker-Face just shouted, "He's disappeared. That hawk just disappeared. He must have magic like Hotwing."  
Before Buzz-Saw could reply, he heard something hit the Limo from below and say, "I hate magic, but I hate people who try to kill me after I help them worse." As he fell into his seat, he was startled as a silver hawk flew by from underneath. Apparently, this hawk must have been linked to the new Silverhawk, but the fact that it talked threw him.  
Then, he saw his blades heading back to him, only to be changed into puffs of smoke by Hotwing. Buzzsaw just looked at Hardware and said, "Hardware, you better get us out of here. I think that new Silverhawk has some tricks, like his disappearing act."  
He heard Hardware say, "You might be right Buzz-Saw. I'm gonna need to make some special equipment for tackling this new Silverhawk. Besides, maybe Melodia and the others will have better luck. Back to Brim-Star, Everyone." Buzz-Saw watched as Hardware turned the limo around and headed back to Brim-Star. He looked back as the strange bird looked back at him. He was surprised at how it looked at him, like it was actually humanoid.  
  
Hotwing watched as the Mob headed back to Brim-Star. He also noticed that Seymour was slowly getting close to the Maraj. As all the hawks returned to the Maraj, he noticed the strange bird flying over to the Maraj as well. It wasn't any of the fighting hawks that he knew of, and there was still no sign of Silverkidd. He was distracted from the thought when Seymour said, "Thanks, Silverhawks, but what happened to Silverkidd?"  
He just looked at Seymour and said, "It appears Silverkidd is a master of illusion. He just disappeared during that fall." That was a perplexing part of what had happened, and the appearence of the strange hawk.  
He heard Flashback say, "Maybe I should jump back in time to see if I can catch Silverkidd before he disappeared." It was a thought that had crossed his mind as well.  
He was startled when he head Bluegrass say, "Right now, I'm kinda worried about this new hawk looking at us. It looks like Tally-Hawk, but it looks like it has a human mind." Hotwing then noticed that the hawk was looking them all over, as if deciding if they were friend or foe.  
He watched as Quicksilver just looked at the bird and said, "I think we have an answer to all our riddles right here." He then watched as Quicksilver looked at the bird and said, "Agent Silverkidd, welcome to Limbo."  
He was almost startled when the bird responded by saying, "Thank you. However, it is not the welcome I was expecting. Is this what happens anytime someone comes to Limbo? And may I ask one favor?"  
He watched as Quicksilver said, "Sure, we can also give you a lift to Hawkhaven. I'm sure you might want to file a report. You can use the bay by me."  
He then saw the bird fly over to Seymour and said, "Seymour, please head to Bedlama. Take what is left of this money, and give it to the man on the piece of paper. He's holding my place for me." Then the bird flew over to the Maraj and transformed into a man again. As he got into the bay, he said, "Quicksilver, I just don't want to hear anything about magic. I don't like the stuff, and I have a feeling a magic user is around." This worried Hotwing a bit. He was the target of Silverkidd's uneasiness, and it was evident.  
He then heard Quicksilver say, "Understood sir. Silverhawks, let's head back to Hawkhaven. We need to inform the commander of all this." He quickly got into his bay and watched as the Maraj headed back to Hawkhaven.  
As they flew, he decided he would ask the question, "Hey Silverkidd, what's your gripe with magic?" It was a good question, and he could tell that Silverkidd was getting upset.  
Before he he could hear from Silverkidd, he heard Quicksilver said, "Hotwing, change the topic. We don't want him upset right now." That was true, and he'd have to find out Silverkidd's grief at a later time.  
  
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Copperkidd yawned a bit as he rode through the sector he was patroling. It wasn't because he was tired, but the whole patrol was quiet. That wasn't a bad thing, but every once in a while, he needed to be busy. It was true that he helped stopped one of the mob's gambling scemes, but that was meer calculation. That and remembering what his mentor once told him. He thought back on those words. "Remember this rule, C, learn your foe, and learn how they think. Once you get in their head, you can beat them at their own games, even when they think they get you." He thought back to the time he was learning some of his skills. They had proved helpful in Limbo. Copperkidd just wished he could use them more. Copperkidd was almost startled when the blast passed in front of him. He looked to see Melodia and some of the mob coming right at him. His first instinct was to fight, but he then remembered some more wisdom. "Never jump in to a fight. Sometimes, the best thing to do is retreat. If they strike first, you are either the target, or something else is. Back up, and check their move."  
Copperkidd decided to pull a retreat, and then call for help. He might need it, especially if he's the target. He quickly did a U-Turn on his Space-Racer, and headed back towards Hawkhaven. As he did so, he heard Melodia shout, "Hurry up, Mumbo. The Copperkidd is getting away." Apparently, he was the target. Now he needed to get out of there and call the Commander. The only thing that could stop him would for Timestopper to be with them. He hoped that wasn't the case as he reached for the communicator.  
  
Melodia watched as the Copperkidd started to turn tail. Mumbo-Jumbo accelerated the limo as she turned to Timestopper and said, "Get ready to stop him, Timestopper. Mon*Star wants the Copperkidd alive."  
She watched as Timestopper pushed the button on his clock and said, "I still don't understand why Mon*Star wants the Copperkidd alive."  
As the clock counted down to zero, she growled in frustration and said, "Because Mon*Star wants to use him for bait to catch this new Silverhawk." Just as she said her last word, the clock hit zero, and the Copperkidd froze. "Now go get the Copperkidd and put him in the manicles." As Timestopper flew over, Melodia just said softly to herself, "If my ancestor would have know this, she would have pulled this long ago."  
She then noticed Mumbo-Jumbo was looking at her as he said, "What was that?" That was one of the bad things about Mumbo-Jumbo. His speech was usually mumbled. Very rarely could anyone make out what he said, and when they could make it out, it wasn't to clear.  
She just looked at Mumbo-Jumbo and said, "Don't worry about it, Mumbo." She never want anyone to know about her family line. All she remember was that he ancestor was one of Earth's greatest criminals. Now if she could be that great, she wouldn't be working for Mon*Star.  
When Timestopper got back the limo, he said, "Alright, we got the Copperkidd, now what?" She could see that the Limbo minute was almost up. He then said, "He won't escape. He tied up so tight, he can barely breathe."  
When the minute ended, she watched as Copperkidd unfroze, and appeared to be in shock. She aimed her Sound Smasher at Copperkidd and said, "Don't try anything, Copperkidd, or you'll be harmonized." She then said to Mumbo-Jumbo, "Get us back to Brim-Star, Mumbo. Mon*Star is going to be happy about this."  
She felt the vehicle lurch as Mumbo said, "Right away." As they headed back, she wondered how successful this plan would be. If what she had been told about him and her ancestor was true, Mon*Star might be in trouble. At least she never crossed paths with Silverkidd, but if they did, would she know it.  
  
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Steelheart watched as the Maraj pulled into the hanger. As it came to a stop, she wondered what Silverkidd would be like in person. From what she had seen in the file, he looked like he was tough as nails. She watched as the canopy on the Hot Seat openned and Bluegrass released the controls. She watched as he looked at her and said, "Well, he's here, and does he have a few tricks up his sleeve."  
She watched as the canopies started to open and said, "Which one is he in, and what kind of tricks does he have? Is he like Hotwing?" She knew Hotwing used magic most of the time, and if Silverkidd had tricks, she figured they might be along those lines.  
She heard Hotwing say, "He's not like me, since he doesn't seem to fond of magic." She could tell by the tone in his voice that it was something that bothered him. She couldn't blame him. No one in Hawkhaven disliked magic, and now he had to deal with someone who didn't care for magic.  
She then heard Quicksilver behind her say, "Steelheart, I'd like you to meet Agent Silverkidd." She turned to see a young man standing next to Quicksilver. Judging by his appearence, he had to appear to be in his mid 20's. If that was so, the repair circuits he had in him must be very effective.  
He extended his hand and said, "Nice to meet you, Steelheart. I hope you can show me to the Commander's office." She was leary about shaking his hand. She didn't want to injure him. Anyone who didn't know her strength was in for a shock. She was more stunned when he just took her hand and shook it. He then said, "See, I don't bite, and I'm not about to hurt anyone here."  
She just smiled and said, "Actually, I thought I'd hurt you. I hurt someone once shaking their hand. Unintentionally, but it still happened." He nodded as if he understood. She then said, "Well, if you want to see the Commander, just follow me." She walked over to the elevator, and entered. Soon he followed her into the elevator.  
As the door closed, he just said, "How many people work here, Steelheart? I mean, how many Silverhawks are there here?"  
She wasn't sure how to answer that, but decided if he was going to find out who was here, it might be now. She just looked at him and said, "Well, there is Commander Stargazer, he's been here before we ever got here. There is my little brother, Steelwill. There are the four you've met. Lt. Quicksilver, Col. Bluegrass, Hotwing, and Flashback. Hotwing is a magic user, which I take it doesn't set well with you."  
She watched as he shook his head, and said, "A criminal using magic killed most of my friends. It's not that I don't like magic, but I have a hard time trusting magic users. Hotwing might have to really earn my trust. However, please continue."  
She smiled and said, "Well, Flashback is a time traveller, some thing I heard you can do to a degree." She watched as he nodded, and she then said, "Also, we have a former detective named Condor here, and our newest member Moonstryker."  
As the door openned to the command center, he said, "So you have nine people here in total?"  
Before she could answer, she heard Steelwill say, "So, this is the famous Silverkidd. Condor was telling us about some of your work. So you stopped one of Earth's most famous criminals."  
She then heard Moonstryker say, "How did you pull some of them off?" At least that got her off the question about who all was there.  
She watched as he put his hands up and said, "Whoa. I'll tell you later about stuff like that. Right now, I do need to see your commander." She watched as Moonstryker pointed to the door in the back, and as Silverkidd headed throught the door.  
When the door closed, she just said, "Thanks. I really think Stargazer should tell him about the Copperkidd. When is he due back from patrol?"  
She watched a worried look cross Will's face as he said, "He was due to check in a few minutes ago. I think something might be wrong." She had a good idea what Steelwill was thinking. If the Mob had found out about Silverkidd, they might have figured out his connection to Copperkidd, and that would mean Copperkidd would be in terrible danger.  
  
Condor sat in the couch in Stargazer's office and listened. He heard footsteps approaching the door and said, "Look's like he's here, Gaze. How do you think he'll react to us."  
Condor watched as Stargazer laughed and said, "Probably might think he's better than us. Look at us, we aren't in our prime anymore, but we still fight."  
Condor just laughed as the door started to open. He stopped laughing as Silverkidd entered the room. He could tell just by the walk that Silverkidd had been doing his job for a long time. He watched as Silverkidd put his hand to his face and said, "Ok, which one of you young pups is the Commander." He was stunned that when the boy pulled the hand away, the face plate was in his hand, and the armor was all gone. "This old man wants to complain about his welcome to the galaxy."  
He watched as Stargazer chuckled and said, "Young pup. Now that's a nickname I like. Make me feel 200 years younger. I'm Commander Stargazer. The guy on the couch is Condor. Feel free to sit down, and tell me what exactly happened."  
Condor waited for Silverkidd to sit and begin his tale. "Well, it is crazy. I had arrived in Limbo, on my way to Bedlama. I shared a cab with a fellow named Poker-Face." Condor noticed the stunned look on Stargazer's face, but decicded to let Silverkidd continue. "Anyhow, I paid his fare, and when the cab leaves, I'm targeted by the mob. Why? I don't know. He's on third, and I'd like to know why this mob is miffed at me."  
Condor started to laugh when he heard what Silverkidd said. He knew Stargazer didn't catch the joke, especially by his sternness in his voice as he said, "What is so funny, Condor?"  
Condor calmed himself down and said, "Classic Silverkidd method. I read that a few years after you became a detective, you would crack an occasional joke. Sort of soften the blow of bad situations, and to help keep anybody relaxed."  
Condor looked over and saw Silverkidd cracking a smile. Then he started to laugh as he said, "I don't believe it. Someone actually remembers a joke from the early 1900's. I guess Bud and Lou never got old. But I digress. What made the mob mad at me?"  
Condor figured Stargazer should answer that one, and said, "You want to tell him, Gaze." He knew his friend would answer the question. Condor didn't have to even say those words.  
Stargazer just looked as Silverkidd and said, "Well, apparently Mon*Star and his mob found out you were coming to Limbo. I doubt Poker-Face told them it was you. What might of happened was that a file was intercepted, or Mo-Lec-U-Lar, Mon*Star's spy, was in here when I told the hawks you were coming to Limbo. I think Mon*Star planned to capture you to try and control one of the hawks."  
He noticed the perplexed look on Silverkidd's face as he asked, "Who? I don't know anyone here, or is there a Silverhawk I haven't met yet?" Condor knew Silverkidd hit the nail on the head. No one told him that Copperkidd was here.  
Before Stargazer could say anything, Moonstryker came running in, and judging by his actions, it was not good news. He sat still and Moonstryker said, "Commander, we have a problem with a capital M." That could only mean one thing. Mon*Star had something up his sleeve.  
  
Steelwill watched as Stargazer, Condor and Silverkidd ran into the command center. He just looked at the screen, and Mon*Star ugly mug. When they finally entered, he heard Mon*Star say, "Stargazer, I have a little bit of news for you."  
He could see how upset the commander was getting as he said, "Mon*Star, you have a lot of nerve calling here. What do you want?"  
One thing Steelwill had come to learn about Mon*Star was that he was bold. Mon*star just smiled and said, "I thought you, or the replacement Silverhawk, would like to know about this." Steelwill just watched as the image switched to that of a cell in Mon*Star's fortress. In the cell was the Copperkidd.  
Steelwill was almost startled when Silverkidd lunged forward and said, "If anything happens to him, I will hunt you down." Steelwill could have sworn that Silverkidd's eyes turned fire red.  
He then heard Mon*Star say, "No harm will come to him, if you turn yourself over to me. Otherwise, I may have Melodia play him a deadly preformance." Steelwill was disgusted as Mon*Star started to laugh, but was stunned when the image was turned off.  
He saw Silverkidd with his hand on the console, and back in his Silverhawk form, and by the force he hit the button, Steelwill could tell Silverkidd was upset. "When was someone going to tell me that C was here?"  
He noticed that Commander Stargazer just said, "It was orders from HQ. They thought that since you were retiring, you would just want peace and quiet. I guess that's not an option."  
Steelwill watched as Silverkidd just stared at Stargazer and said, "Guess not, Young pup. Do I have permission to lead a rescue mission? Mon*Star is about to learn the first two rules about dealing with the Silverkidd. Rule One: Never try to out think him."  
He then heard Lt Quicksilver say, "What would rule number two be?"  
If Silverkidd's face would have been visible, Steelwill would have guessed a devilish smile would be on it as Silverkidd said, "Rule Two: Don't make Silverkidd mad." Steelwill got an idea that Mon*star was about to get a surprise, and one he would not expect.  
  
Lt. Quicksilver was surprised at Silverkidd's words, but he didn't doubt the boy's spirit. He turned to Commander Stargazer and said, "Sir, he's right. We need to rescue the Copperkidd, and I would be honored to follow Silverkidd on this mission."  
Silverkidd then said, "You pick the team if you want, just pick people you know will be best for this." He knew why Silverkidd agreed to that. Silverkidd was new, and didn't know who would be good.  
Lt. Quicksilver then said, "Bluegrass, we'll need you to get us there, and get us out fast." He watched as Bluegrass nodded. He then said, "Steelwill and Steelheart, I want you two to go as well. Also, Hotwing, I want you on the team." He noticed the look he got from Silverkidd at that one and said, "He can get us out of tight situation, sir."  
As the rest headed off to the hanger, he heard Stargazer say, "Quicksilver, I want you to keep an eye on Silverkidd, he's not a team member, but I have a feeling that may change. Also, he may have some tricks that Mon*Star hasn't seen yet."  
Quicksilver quickly saluted Stargazer and said, "Understood." He turned and said, "Come on, Silverkidd, this is your show now." As they entered the elevator, he turned to Silverkidd and said, "Can I ask you why you don't like magic users?"  
He watched as Silverkidd just looked straight ahead and said, "I told Steelheart a little, but not everything. It happened back in my younger days, learning to be a detective. One fellow was a magic user, and he killed everyone of our class. Later, he resurfaced, kidnapped my adopted daughter, and left me for dead. After all that, my trust for anyone using magic turns to zip, unless they prove themselves."  
Quicksilver now had an understanding how Silverkidd's mind worked. He then asked the question he had after learning about Silverkidd's past. "Did you ever find her?"  
Silverkidd just said, "Years later, she followed in my footsteps, but that's a long story." The elevator door openned and Silverkidd finished by saying, "Which we don't have time for. Now, let's get the Mob."  
Quicksilver then heard Steelheart say, "Hey, Quicksilver, where is Silverkidd going to be? All the sections of the Maraj are full." Quicksilver looked over at Silverkidd and remember one of Silverkidd's tricks from earlier.  
He looked over at Steelheart and said, "I don't think that will be a problem." He saw a surprised look on her face as Silverkidd changed into a hawk form. He put his arm up and let the new bird land on it. "I think he can squeeze in like this. Now let's go, Silverhawks."  
  
*************************  
  
Sky-Shadow flew through the space near Hawk Haven. He had a simple task to preform. Watch for the Silverhawks, and warn if they leave. He hadn't tried to peek inside yet, but it was still an option. Then he saw movement. He turned and saw the Maraj leave. The Silverhawks were on their way to the Brim-Star. This meant the master had to be warned. He quickly faced Brim-Star and sent his signal there.  
  
*************************  
  
Yes-Man slithered over to the screen when he saw Sky-Shadow's report come in. When he saw the image, he panicked. He didn't know if Mon*Star would think that the Silverhawks would attack or not. He then said, "Mon*Star, it looks like the Silverhawks are coming for the Copperkidd."  
He heard Mon*Star say, "So, Stargazer thinks he's going to rescue his little reject. Well, he's not going to get his reject back without handing over this new Silverhawk. Go tell Windhammer to use a blizzard to freeze those tin turkeys before they get close to the crater, and if that new hawk is with them, he'll find out not to mess with the mob."  
Yes-Man smiled and said, "Yes, Mon*star, not mess with the mob. I'll tell Windhammer right away, Mon*Star". He then slithered off to find Windhammer.  
Before he could leave, Mon*Star said, "And Yes-Man. Tell Melodia to be ready. If the Silverhawks manage to get past Windhammer, I want her to be ready to take out the Copperkidd." Yes-man smiled and nodded. Mon*Star did have a plan, and it was good.  
  
Melodia sat in her room, at her organ. She was deep into a tune that she loved. Deep down, she was playing an old song from her youth. She had remembered hearing it as a child, but then she left home. She wondered from time to time what her mother was doing, but she let those thoughts pass. The mob was her family now, and nothing was going to change that. She was deeply into her playing when she heard Yes-Man say, "Melodia. Mon*star wants you to head down to the Copperkidd's cell. The Silverhawks are attacking, and he doesn't want the Kidd to escape."  
She picked up her Sound Smasher and said, "Alright, Yes-Man. I'll head down there right away, and if any Silverhawk manages to get near the Copperkidd, they will both be toast." Melodia left the room and headed down to the Copperkidd's cell. As she headed down there, she started wondering about something. The new Silverhawk sounded familiar to her. She didn't remember why, but the real name seemed familiar. When she finally reached the cell, she looked in to see Copperkidd facing the wall. She smirked at the thought of just blasting him now, but Mon*star only wanted that if the Silverhawks managed to get close to the cell. Melodia looked in the cell and said, "Enjoying your home, Copperkidd, cause you are going to be here for a long time." She was surprised that smallest Silverhawk didn't look back. She then started to wonder, if the Silverhawks were replacing him, he would have known about it. Something didn't add up in Mon*star's thinking. She sat down near the cell and looked over and said, "So, Copperkidd, who is this Richard Silver fellow."   
She noticed the Copperkidd moved to look at her. She saw a smile cross the Copperkidd's face that made her want to back up. It said something to her. It said, "Richard Silver is coming, and he's not what you'll expect." She was worried now. Who was Richard Silver?  
  
Silverkidd looked out the canopy of the bay he was in. He saw the red planet come into view. Now, knowing what he knew, it looked like it reaked of evil. Then he started to think. If Mon*star knew he was in Limbo, what would this crimianl do? Then it hit him. Mon*star would prepare for an attack. He probably had a defense measure set up. He just said, "Bluegrass, can you stop for a moment. I think we need to fly in. If I'm right, Mon*Star may have an attack waiting for us, and we may have a better shot flying in."  
He then heard Steelwill say, "So how are we to get by unseen. It's not like we can turn invisible."  
Silverkidd smiled and said, "But we can, at least with my help. Once we are out of the Maraj, I can cloak all of us. Is everyone alright with that?"  
He had a feeling who would protest, but was surprised when Steelheart said, "I'm not sure if we can do that. If you have cloak ability, how are to get by if it is Windhammer. Cloaking can't stop weather."  
Silverkidd just said, "When I cloak, I shift out of phase. We won't be seen and can fly through major obsticals, but we will have to unphase just before we hit the fortress. Who ever is the first opposition, we will need to handle them then."  
He then heard Lt. Quicksilver say, "Alright, Steeltwins, you can handle the opposition. Hotwing, you and I will go with Silverkidd into the fortress. You can get us into the fortress, and then we'll get to the dungeon. All we have to do then is get the Copperkidd and get out."  
Silverkidd shuddered a bit and then said, "Ok, that's the plan. Let's get ready to fly."  
He watched as Quicksilver lowered his mask and said, "Ok Bluegrass, time to release." Soon the canopy flew open and they all flew out.   
Silverkidd quickly went into human form and said, "Ok everyone, we need to link up so we can all phase."  
At that, Quicksilver said, "Ok hawks, Link up, and Bluegrass, stay back until we signal you." Then, everyone linked up, hand in hand, and they formed a circle. Quicksilver then said, "Ok, Silverkidd, time to phase. Hope it works right." Silverkidd nodded and activated the phase. Soon, they were flying toward the crater and into it, and he could see someone with a tuning fork near the top of the fortress. He didn't know what it was for, but he had a feeling it was linked to what Steelheart was talking about. If this was Windhammer, he was about to get a surprise.  
  
Windhammer looked up at the sky. He had his orders. If the Silverhawks flew in, they would be in for a cold reception. He swung his tuning fork around and said, "If those Silverhawks try to get close, they will be ice hawks." He struck the ground and had a small snow blast to begin with. Mon*star would be happy, especially if it froze the Silverhawks. He then saw the Maraj fly by. He waited. All he needed to do now was see the figures of the Silverhawks fly down. Once he saw the first Silverhawk, they would all be frozen. He waited and started to worry. What if the Silverhawks could cloak. Maybe they were getting close and he needed to freeze them now. He started to swing his tuning fork and said, "Arctic winds, freeze the sky."  
Before he could hit the ground with it, the Silverhawks appeared, and the Steeltwins knocked him to the ground. How did they get there without anyone seeing them? He heard Steelheart say, "We have Windhammer, sir. You go get the Copperkidd." With that the other three headed inside.  
Windhammer looked over to where his tuning fork hit the ground and said, "I'll fry you Silverhawks with a lightning blast." He looked again to where the tuning fork was and Steelheart had kicked it off the edge. That was not a good sign.  
He heard Steelwill say, "Nice job, sis. Now Windhammer can fight fair. Ready for a fair fight, Windhammer?" It wasn't really a question, more a statement. Two against one wasn't good, and now he had to stop them without his tuning fork. He only hoped Mo-Lec-U-Lar could detain the other Silverhawks.  
  
Hotwing had been amazed at how they had phased out, and more amazed as they phased in. Now all he, Silverkidd and Quicksilver had to do was reach Copperkidd's cell. The task wouldn't be easy, but it was doable. He then said, "All we have to do is find Copperkidd and get out. If I remember right, the dungeons are this way." He ran down the tunnel that led to the dungeons.  
As they ran, he heard Quicksilver say, "Let's hope we can find him before Mon*star tries to transform. If he does transform, this mission gets a lot tougher."  
He heard Silverkidd ask, "How bad, Quicksilver? Are we talking of a need to retreat?" Hotwing thought back to his first encounter with Mon*star and realized that Silverkidd had right to be concerned. Mon*Star was tougher than he appeared.  
Before either could answer, Hotwing turned a corner and almost ran into Copperkidd. He was thrilled that Copperkidd had managed to escape, and said, "Hey kidd, glad you got out." It meant the mission was soon over. The only thing they had to do was get to the exit.  
As they all turned to leave, he noticed that Silverkidd had not moved. He heard Quicksilver say, "Silverkidd, what's wrong?" Hotwing then noticed the Copperkidd looked a bit worried. Was he worried he wouldn't being going back to Hawk-Haven, due to Mon*Star's claims.  
He watched as Silverkidd just stood and said, "C.K., where was the scars I had?" He watched as Copperkidd looked at Silverkidd and then point to his left arm. He watched as Silverkidd nodded.  
Before anyone moved, Hotwing thought about the odd question and said, "Silverkidd, what was that about?" Then it happened so fast, he couldn't believe he saw it. The gun Silverkidd had back during the fight in Seymour's cab was out again, and Silverkidd fired at Copperkidd.  
As Copperkidd flew into the wall, Quicksilver said, "Silverkidd, why did you do that? You just shot Copperkidd." He then noticed that Silverkidd just shook his head. Something told him that Silverkidd knew something.  
Hotwing looked over where Copperkidd was and saw the Copperkidd stand up and say, "Very clever, Silverkidd, but are you ready to be stopped." Hotwing saw the Copperkidd put his fists together and transform into the form of Mo-Lec-U-Lar. Silverkidd must have realized that it wasn't Copperkidd. THen he heard Mo-Lec-U-Lar raise his arm and say, "Now get ready to stay here for a long time."  
  
Mo-Lec-U-Lar was taking aim at the Silverhawks. He was surprised that this new one, Silverkidd, had discovered his disguise, but he was going to rectify that. He was surprised to see Silverkidd disappear. He looked around for a second and still aimed at the other Silverhawks and said, "Alright, where did he go?"  
He saw Quicksilver smile and say, "I think he's closer to you than you think, Mo-Lec-U-Lar?" Mo-Lec-U-Lar looked from side to side, keeping an eye on the Silverhawks. What was this Silverkidd up to?  
He looked around and finally said, "Alright Silverkidd, show yourself or the other Silverhawks get it." As if on cue, Mo-Lec-U-Lar saw Silverkidd in front of him , but in two places. He was in shock at the appearence and only said, "How..."  
It was all he could say when not two, but three voices said, "You said show myself, but you didn't say how many." He didn't know what to think, but that soon ended as he felt three fists connect with him, and he blacked out.  
  
Mon*star watched everything from his inner sanctum. It didn't set well with him at all the things he had seen Silverkidd do. The cloak that got the Silverhawks in was Silverkidd's. The duplicates that knocked out Mo-Lec-U-Lar were all Silverkidd. What kind of Silverhawk was Silverkidd? He looked at Hardware and saw even Hardware was in shock. He heard Hardware say, "That must be some fancy stuff they are putting in Silverhawks. Instant clones that disappear when done." He watched as the two duplicates disappeared. He then heard Hardware say, "It would take me a year to develop a clone, unless I could take apart the original."  
Mon*Star then said, "I think the original would be more valuable. A good bargaining chip in case we needed to stop the Silverhawks, or anyone." He looked over at Yes-Man and said, "Yes-Man, prepare for transformation."  
He heard Yes-Man go, "Yes Mon*star, right away Mon*star." He watched as Yes-Man began the transformation sequense. As he prepared to except the power of the Moon-Star, he wondered what Silverkidd might think of Mon*Star, the Planet Master.  
  
Quicksilver felt the entire planet shake. It could only mean one thing. He turned to Hotwing and Silverkidd and said, "I think Mon*star is transforming. We need to hurry." It was the last thing they needed right now. Especially since Silverkidd had never dealt with Mon*Star, or even dealt with anything like Mon*Star.  
He then saw Silverkidd stop and look around. He just said, "Whole lot of shakin' going on. I take it that someone is becoming a bigger pain in the rump."  
He watched as Hotwing said, "Yes, so if you don't want to handle him, we better find Copperkidd quick." As they ran down the hall, he heard Hotwing ask, "By the way, how did you do that clone trick?"  
He didn't want to hear the explination now, so he just said, "You can tell us later. The dungeons are right down here." He was about to turn the corner when Silverkidd stopped him. He realized something wasn't right. He turned to face Silverkidd and said, "What's wrong?"  
All he heard Silverkidd say was, "What is she doing her?" It was more a puzzled question than anything else. He started to wonder what he meant until he noticed Hotwing was looking around the corner.  
He walked over and saw who was there. It was Melodia, and she was guarding Copperkidd. He looked over at Hotwing and said, "Any tricks, Magic man?" Before Hotwing could respond, he heard something in the air. It sounded like music, but there was something different. It wasn't from Melodia. He turn to face Silverkidd only to see Silverkidd looking as puzzled as he was. Then he glanced around the corner to see something he couldn't believe.  
  
When he heard the music, Copperkidd first thought Melodia started to fire, but no. He looked at her and saw her yawn. She was falling asleep. The music seemed to put his jailor to sleep, but it didn't sound like any lulliby he had ever heard. Soon, he saw three figures enter into view. He was happy when he saw who they were. He heard the one say, "Here, take these." He saw his old mentor hand his friend a small device. He knew what they were.  
Soon Quicksilver blasted the cell door and said, "Are you ok, Copperkidd?" He just smiled and said, "I'm fine." He could see the shock on Quicksilver's face. Not at the fact that he was fine, but that he understood him.  
He saw Hotwing blast his bonds with his magic, as Silverkidd ran over to him and said, "Sorry about causing all these problems, C.K. If I had known, I would have let you know."  
Copperkidd looked at his mentor and said, "It's Okay. I didn't even know you were coming." He watched as Silverkidd watched the other and he wondered if they had known.  
He then realized that it might not have been something he was to be told of when Quicksilver said, "I think when you said you wanted to retire, they didn't want Copperkidd to bother you." He then saw a perplexed look cross Silverkidd's face.  
Soon, his mentor said, "Well, he can ask me for help anytime. I think their order not to tell made this a lot worse than it had to be. Now, if what you said was right, Quicksilver, we need to motor. C.K., did you have a vehicle at all?"  
He nodded and said, "My Space Racer. Knowing the Mob, it might be in their garage." He wondered if Silverkidd had a plan. From all the time he had spent learning with Silverkidd, he knew that Silverkidd thought on the fly, and if he had to, he'd pull a decoy ploy. Silverkidd had fooled alot of crooks with a fake out of some sort.  
He then heard a sound that made him worry. It was Mon*Star, and he heard the mob boss say, "I know you are here, Silverhawks, and you are not going to get out of here alive." He felt scared, but he knew there had to be a way out.  
He heard Silverkidd say, "I have a plan, and it may be our best bet." He watched as everyone nodded to hear the plan. When he finally heard the plan, he smiled. Mon*star was about to learn how Silverkidd got to be the best.  
  
Mon*Star stopped at the hall to the dungeon. Now was the moment he had been waiting for for a long time. He had the Silverhawks pinned down, and he would be able to take out a new Silverhawk before they could become a problem. He looked at Hardware, who stood next to him and said, "You have a lock on this new Silverhawk, Hardware?"  
He watched as Hardware gazed at the monitor and said, "You bet, Planet Master. That new Silverhawk is right in front of ...." He didn't like that Hardware trailed off, especially his weapons master said, "He's gone, Mon*Star. He disappeared from view. It's like he winked out of existance."  
This didn't set well with him. A Silverhawk that could do that was dangerous. He could be right in front of him and he wouldn't know it until it was too late. He was half in that thought when he saw the blip appear on the screen. He looked at it and said, "Where is he, Hardware?"   
He could see that Hardware was upset, but before Hardware could say anything, he heard the weapon fire and ducked down. He turned to see a boy running off saying, "I was right behind you." He watched as the gun melded back in Silkerkidd's arm. Before he could say anything, Silverkidd shouted, "Now, I'm going to do some remodelling." Soon, Silverkidd had disappeared. Mon*Star did want to stop this new Silverhawks, but something nagged at him. What was this new Silverhawk going after, and then it hit him.  
He grabbed Hardware and said, "Find him quick. He's heading for the transformation chamber." It was the one thing that always worried him. A Silverhawk would manage to destroy the transformation chamber. It would take time to rebuild it. Plus, if it was totally destroied, he may never get it rebuilt before he'd be put back in the Penal Planet. For the first time, he started to worry that his criminal empire was coming to an end.  
  
Steelheart had just entered the mob's garage when she saw the others coming through the rear door. She had Steelwill had managed to get there after their fight with Windhammer. They had both agreed to find the Copperkidd's Space Racer, and then hot-wire one of the Limos. She was overjoied to see the Copperkidd was alright, but was a bit distressed to not see Silverkidd. As the other got to them, she just said, "Copperkidd, I'm glad to see you are alright, but where is Silverkidd?"  
She was stunned when the Copperkidd handed her and Steelwill something that looked like a pin. She looked at it, almost puzzled when Hotwing just said, "Trust me, you want to put it on. It's from Silverkidd."  
Those words seemed to comfort her, but she still had doubts. She place the pin right over her Silverhawks insignia. She saw her brother do the same, and soon he said, "What's the deal with the pins?"  
She was almost started when she heard the Copperkidd say, "So you can understand me better." It was nothing short of amazing. It was one trick she knew Hotwing couldn't pull. They had learned some basics of Copperkidd's language, but this was better by far. Before she could ask another question, Copperkidd said, "Silverkidd is acting as decoy so we could escape. He said he was going to leave Mon*Star something to think about."  
She then heard Quicksilver say, "I have a feeling he's going to damage Mon*star's transformation chamber. If he does succeed in that, we might want to be as far away as possible." She understood what he meant. If Silverkidd did manage to do that, Mon*Star would be on a warpath, but if they weren't there, Mon*Star would start fixing the machine. That would mean a shift in the crime rate.  
Before, she finished her thought, she heard Steelwill say, "I know what your thinking, sis. And I have this limo running. Now let's get up to Bluegrass and head out of here. I have a feeling Silverkidd may come flying out of there at high speed." She glance as Copperkidd had started the Space Racer, and everyone else jumped into the Limo. It was time to run, and she had to hope Silverkidd was alright.  
  
Silverkidd rounded the turn and found it. Hotwing had told him where it was, and he was right. The only opposition was a snake, and a wimpy one at best. Now, he needed to strike, and then escape. He saw the thing they said would be the Deep-Space Ejector. That was his way out, now he had to pick his target. He wanted to disable Mon*star for a while. The best way to do that would be to take out the controls. He did a quick glance at the room and focused on a strange set of controls. Those had to be the controls he needed to destroy. He walked into the room and phased back in, and pulled out his gun. He aimed at the control and said, "This place is no longer open for business." Soon, he openned fire on the controls, before the snake could even move.  
He saw the snake look at him and say, "The boss isn't gonna be happy with you, Silverkidd."  
He aimed his gun at the snake and said, "Listen up. Mon*star brought this on himself. Now, if you are wise, you are going to get over to those controls, and activate the Deep-Space Ejector when i tell you to. Understood." He watched the snake nod and slither over to another set of controls. As the snake did that, he moved to the Ejector. He didn't want to fire on the snake, but he had to make it think like he would.  
He was almost at the door when a laser blast shot right at his feet. He turned to face the huge form of Mon*Star. For the first time, he got a good look at the mobster. Like this, he was huge and armored from head to toe. It was times like this that Silverkidd was glad nothing could scare him. He stood at the door as Mon*Star said, "So you are the new Silverhawk. You've been quite a problem, but now you are going to work for me." He was puzzled by those words until he started to see Mon*Star's eye start to glow.  
Silverkidd didn't wait for it. Just as the glow left Mon*Star's eye, he openned the door and jumped into the tube, and shut the door behind him. The glow hit the door, and he was safe. He just shouted, "Maybe you need a targeting sight for that eye. Your aim is way off."  
He then heard something that made him worry. Mon*Star started to laugh as he said, "So, you think you are safe. You just jumped into the one place I can get you. Yes-Man, turn off the Deep Space Ejector. I don't want to lose this Silverhawk." Silverkidd realized that he had to do one thing to escape.  
He just said, "Sorry, Bright eye, but I gotta fly." With that, he transformed into his hawk mode and flew up the tube. He heard Mon*star scream of anguish. The mobster just realized he had not only lost the Silverhawks, but also his transformation chamber and his only shot at revenge.  
As he flew up the tube, he heard Mon*Star shout, "I'll get you for this Silverkidd. I don't care how long it takes, but I will get you. And then I'll get the rest of the Silverhawks.  
When he emerged, he saw Copperkidd on a vehicle, and the other Silverhawks, flying on a limo. As he neared, he heard Steelwill say, "Did you pull the powerplay, Silverkidd?"  
Silverkidd knew what Steelwill meant. He just said, "Let's just expect a drop in the crime in Limbo for a while. Mon*Star is gonna be busy repairing his transformation chamber. Now, if you don't mind. Let's fly back to Hawk-Haven."  
He heard all the Silverhawks laugh before Quicksilver said over his communicator, "Ok, Cowboy, take us home." Now, maybe he could get some rest for his weary wings. He quickly perched on the tail fin of Copperkidd's vehicle and held on tight.  
  
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Stargazer listened as all the hawks retold there account of what had happened. He was glad that things went well. He wasn't happy that there wasn't an arrest made. Part of him couldn't understand why Silverkidd was so happy. When they were all finished talking, he sat back and said, "Well, Silverkidd, it looks like you knew what to do. I'm glad you put the mob out of commision for a while, but I wouldn't have minded an arrest."  
He saw Silverkidd smile and say, "Well, I told one of my last supervisors the same thing. You don't always get an arrest to win. All you need to do is succeed at the task. But, I think you owe C.K. and apology."  
Stargazer smiled and said, "YOu are right. Kidd, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Silverkidd coming here. It had been direct orders, but the wrong orders. Maybe if we hadn't kept it secret, Mon*Star wouldn't have tried his little stunt."  
Having the comminicator from Silverkidd made it easier for him to understand the Copperkidd. "It's alright, but will Silverkidd stay on the force?"  
He watched as Silverkidd looked at him and said, "Only if Stargazer wants me here, and if I can have you as a partner. I want to see if you use some of my techniques or come up with some new ones."  
Stargazer just smiled and said, "Alright Old man, you are in. Can you handle taking orders from a Young pup."  
Silverkidd just smiled and said, "Yea, but can the young pup give the old man some time to recover."  
Stargazer just smiled and said, "Alright, I'll have Copperkidd show you to your quarters. I hope you are ready for active duty tomorrow." He watched Silverkidd nod as the two left the room. He wondered what would Silverkidd bring to his force.  
  
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Silverkidd sat in his quarters and pulled up an old file. It was of his age old advesary, and her family tree. He was sure he had heard Melody back at Brim-star. That's why he started the lulliby. He was half tempted to call her mother, but decided against it. Last thing Limbo needed was for her mother's gang to show up in Limbo. He shut the file down and laid down, quietly saying, "If Carmen could only see her kids now." Would she be proud, or upset?  
  
The end. 


End file.
